On a night to celebrate the accomplishments of youth from across the city, Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) interns gathered for an End of Internship Celebration on Aug. 19 surrounded by glass containers of sea animals at the Seattle Aquarium. Mayor Bruce Harrell spoke at the event, offering words of encouragement to the youth and taking photos with the interns.
SYEP interns completed a six-week program at their unique sites where they enhanced their skills through various hands-on experiences in different departments around the City, as well as local businesses and nonprofit organizations.
The event was an opportunity for interns to dress their best and to connect with one another about their journeys. Guests who came to the event enjoyed refreshments, food, and dessert while exhibits were open for people to walk around and view.
An Nguyen, who has been a SYEP participant for multiple years, is proud of the work he has done while interning for the Human Services Department (HSD) this summer. He is looking forward to what is to come.
“For me this year, I feel like I actually made progress [towards] my future career,” Nguyen said.
It was also a time to look back at the work interns have contributed over the summer. Gabrielle Mann, who also interned at HSD, reflected on her experience.
“I’m most proud of my work on the Farmers Market (food assistance programs),” she said. “We worked really hard on mailing and surveying everybody.”
During the event, attendees were able to take photos and listen to speeches from community leaders, interns, and their supervisors.
“It is important to recognize all the young people and our site supervisors and our program partners,” said Ron Mirabueno, who manages the Community Services Unit of HSD’s Youth and Family Empowerment Division. “Everyone is contributing to this amazing experience, and we should all celebrate with each other, especially when we hear a lot of negativity. We need to celebrate with each other and really build each other up.”
As the ceremony continued, awards were presented to outstanding interns and site supervisors. Abdiwali Shaie, who received the Advocacy Award, explained the importance of making those connections.
“To network and meet the people that I work with is [important],” said Shaie, who did some IT work at the Seattle Municipal Tower during his internship. “The experiences that I gained from this internship were really important for me and my future.”
Job Golla is an intern in the Human Services Department working directly on the Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP). For more information about Job, see his HSD Employee Spotlight or visit his LinkedIn page.